When I was asked to contribute a piece on Vinsanto for Sommelier News, I wondered if there was really anything new to say about a wine that’s been made for a couple of thousand years. I mean, the traditional wine-making process for Vinsanto remains pretty much untouched by technology—not a fact Greek winemakers, who want to be known for their huge advances in wine-making, want publicized. But given wine’s romantic draw, that bit of nostalgia sweetens the Vinsanto story even more. And the fact that it’s made only on Santorini, the beautiful and strange volcanic island that some speculate is a lost Atlantis, heightens the interest.

What was news to me as I wrote the piece is that many wine pros didn’t know Vinsanto is Greek—not Italian. Sure, there’s an Italian version, which you’ve likely sipped at the end of a meal with a dunken biscotti, but the Greek version is enjoyed throughout the day. Many Greeks use it as an afternoon pick up–sort of a classy shot of Red Bull.

You can download the short and sweet version of Sommelier News here, or visit the official web site of the International Sommelier Guild and download the entire newsletter in the lower right corner. There’s tons of good content there—worth the 4.5MB download.